System and method for preprogrammed purchasing of television offered products

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, the present invention is an improved interactive television system and method for t-commerce. The data for upcoming products is pre-loaded into the system&#39;s memory. When a product becomes available, a “trigger” appears on the Vertical Blanking Interval (“VBI”) of the shopping channel that causes the system to display special graphics with which the user can interact to order a product. The displayed special graphics may include text, graphics, and/or video about the product. A user can browse a list of upcoming products and select items that he or she wishes to purchase, as soon as the products become available. The system then monitors the VBI of the shopping channel and when a trigger for a selected product appears in the VBI, the system immediately sends a message (the order form) to the order center of the shopping channel and orders the product. The system can accomplish this function unattended while the user is asleep or otherwise occupied.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This patent application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Patent Applications Ser. No. 60/360,780, filed Mar. 1, 2002and entitled “PREPROGRAMMED AUTOMATIC PURCHASING OF TELEVISION OFFEREDPRODUCTS”, the entire content of which is hereby expressly incorporatedby reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to interactive televisionsystems. More specifically, this invention is directed to a system andmethod for performing television commerce.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Television commerce or t-commerce is conventionally viewed as a subsetof interactive television and is generally defined as electroniccommerce where the electronic commerce transactions occur over themedium of television, or similar devices. Although t-commerce is stillin its early stages, it is projected to play a significant role in thegrowth and acceptance of interactive television.

T-commerce transactions may be conducted in a full screen televisionmode, or through an interactive program guide (“IPG”). Generallyspeaking, an IPG is an on-screen listing of television programinformation with interactive functions that enable users to navigatethrough, sort, select and schedule television programming for viewingand recording. An IPG may include different regions for displayingadvertisements and other messages.

Alternatively, the t-commerce opportunity may be presented to a useroutside of the IPG. For example, advertising or t-commerce opportunitiesmay be presented to a user in connection with a currently broadcasttelevision program or advertisement.

Another way of using a television for purchasing products is televisionshopping channels. However, television shopping channels often feature“One Time Only” and “Today's Special Value” type product spots where aproduct becomes available at a certain time (sometimes in the wee hoursof the morning) and is only available for a few hours or until stockruns out. When the product becomes available, there is often a “frenzy”of phone calls to order the product. However, potential buyers sometimesmiss the opportunity of buying the advertised product. Also, some ofthese offers are inconvenient for users in a particular time zone(usually an Eastern time zone) since the products are offeredsimultaneously over different time zones. Thus, the offer would be madethree hours later in the U.S. Eastern Time Zone than in the U.S. PacificTime Zone. This places a prime time offer for the U.S. West coast lateat night on the U.S. East coast.

Therefore, there is a need for a television system and method that iscapable of preprogramming purchasing of television offered products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention is a method for preprogrammedpurchasing of television offered products. It includes receiving a firsttrigger instruction in a television signal; prompting a user to inputorder information for a product, responsive to the first triggerinstruction; receiving the order information from the user; storing thereceived order information in a memory; receiving a second triggerinstruction in the television signal; and transmitting the stored orderinformation to a remote site, responsive to the second triggerinstruction.

In another aspect, the present invention is a method for preprogramminga purchase of television offered products. It includes receiving a firsttrigger instruction in a television signal including information about aproduct; displaying the information about a product, responsive to thefirst trigger instruction; displaying an order form for a user to inputorder information for the product, responsive to the first triggerinstruction; receiving the order information from the user; storing thereceived order information in a memory; receiving a second triggerinstruction in the television signal; and sending the stored orderinformation to a remote site, responsive to the second triggerinstruction.

In yet another aspect, the present invention is a television system forpreprogramming a purchase of television offered products comprising: areceiver for receiving a first trigger instruction and a second triggerinstruction in a television signal; a display processor for prompting auser to input order information for a product, responsive to the firsttrigger instruction; a user interface for receiving the orderinformation from the user; a memory for storing the received orderinformation; and a back channel for transmitting the stored orderinformation to a remote site, responsive to the second triggerinstruction. The back channel transmits the stored order information toa remote site via a wireless network, a telephone network, the Internet,and/or a pager network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, advantages and features of this invention will become moreapparent from a consideration of the following detailed description andthe drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is an exemplary IPG, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 1B is an exemplary remote controller, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram of a television system, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is an exemplary flow diagram for programing an ordering of aproduct, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is an exemplary flow diagram for programing an ordering of aproduct, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of a scheduling component of anadvertisement, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary illustration of a programming component of anadvertisement, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 6 is an exemplary illustration of how information is retrieved fromthe ad and IPG databases, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, the present invention is an improved interactivetelevision system and method for t-commerce. The data for upcomingproducts is pre-loaded into the system's memory. When a product becomesavailable, a “trigger” appears on the Vertical Blanking Interval (“VBI”)of the shopping channel that causes the system to display specialgraphics with which the user can interact to order a product.Alternatively, the special graphics may be stored in the memory and bedisplayed in response to a user request. The displayed special graphicsmay include text, graphics, and/or video about the product. With thispre-ordering feature, the user can browse a list of upcoming productsand select items that he or she wishes to purchase, as soon as theproducts become available. The system then monitors the VBI of ashopping channel and when a trigger for a selected product appears inthe VBI, the system immediately dials the phone (or sends a wirelessmessage) to the order center of the shopping channel (or directly to themerchant) and orders the product. The system can accomplish thisfunction unattended while the user is asleep or otherwise occupied.

Although, in some embodiments, the present invention uses an IPG as aplatform with which to execute the innovations described herein, theinvention is not IPG platform dependent. That is, for some embodimentsof the present invention, it is not necessary that the user interactwith an IPG. Furthermore, for some embodiments of the present invention,it is not necessary that the interactive display system of an IPG beavailable on the user's television. That is, according to one aspect ofthe present invention, administering the t-commerce transaction by thetelevision user is independent of any user profile information and isindependent of the user's interactivity with, or even the existence of,an IPG.

In order to complete the t-commerce transaction, a back channel orreturn path would need to be integrated with the television, and/or theIPG. The back channel could be a two-way cable, pager network, telephonenetwork, cellular telephone network, Internet, or other similar means ofupstream communication from users to service providers, merchants, orother related third parties. Those skilled in the art should realize thesignificant investment in infrastructure (e.g., back channel, inventory,shipping, billing systems, etc.) that is necessary to enable sucht-commerce transactions. A two-way interactive television system usingpager transmitter and receiver is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,931;and cable and Internet back links are described in U.S. Pat. No.6,388,714 B1; the entire contents of which are hereby expresslyincorporated by reference.

An exemplary IPG is illustrated in FIG. 1A. The IPG includes one or moreinteractive advertising panels 12, 14, and 16 through which interactiveadvertising or t-commerce opportunities can be delivered to users. Thecontent delivered through the interactive advertising panels may beprogram or product related content. For example, advertising panel 14may be utilized to advertise an upcoming program on one of the channelslisted in the IPG. Additionally, the user may be prompted or have theability to perform certain actions in relation to the program. Forexample, the user may have the option to set a reminder to tune to orrecord the advertised program at the time it is broadcast in the future.Additionally, the user may have the option to block access to theadvertised program using a parental control feature offered by the IPG.If the advertised program is a pay program (e.g., PPV, VOD, etc.), theuser might also be prompted or have the ability to purchase theadvertised program. As mentioned above, such a transaction would requirea back channel or return path integrated with the IPG.

Additionally, advertising panel 16 may be utilized to advertise aproduct through the IPG. The product may or may not be related to one ormore of the programs listed in the IPG. Using a remote control or otherinput device, a user may select the product-related advertising panel.Selecting the product-related advertisement will provide the user withadditional information about the advertised product. Additionally, theuser may be prompted or have the ability to perform certain actions inrelation to the product.

For example, the user has the option to purchase the advertised product.To complete the transaction, the user will be prompted to providecertain personal information (e.g., contact, credit card, billinginformation etc.). This information may be entered by the user at thetime of the transaction, or alternatively, the user may select to usesimilar information that was previously stored within the system.

The IPG is capable of collecting extensive information concerning aparticular user, described as a user's profile. Creation of a user'sprofile is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,931 B1 (“the '931 patent”),the entire content of which is hereby expressly incorporated byreference. Also described in the '931 patent is the utilization of auser's profile to customize the presentation to the user ofadvertisement. In the '931 patent, the presentation of advertising iscustomizable for every mode in which advertisement is presented to theuser, including the customization of advertising presented as part ofthe IPG display and the customization of advertising delivered by thetelevision tuner.

Referring back to FIG. 1A, a television screen display 10 is shown.Display 10 could be generated by a conventional television receiver withinterlaced scan lines, by a VCR, by a PC monitor with progressive scanlines, or by any other type of video display device. In the upper lefthand corner of the screen is a picture-in-picture (PIP) window 12. Belowwindow 12 are Panel Ad Windows 14, and 16 (“Ad Windows”). Windows 12,14, and 16 each typically occupy about 1/9 of the total screen area. Theremainder of the screen area is typically occupied (moving from top tobottom of the screen) by an action key bar 18, a navigation bar 20, agrid guide 22 (“Grid Guide”), and an information box 24 (the “detailedinformation area). In the embodiment pictured in FIG. 1A, the positionof the windows, and other user interface features, including the actionkey bar, navigation bar and Grid Guide, are fixed. In another embodimentof this invention, as is described further below, the position and sizeof the windows and other user interface features are customizable by theuser.

In FIG. 1B of the drawing, one embodiment of a remote controller 26 foractivating the functions of display 10 is shown. Remote controller 26could have other keys for activating the functions of a user videodevice, such as a television receiver, a VCR, or a cable box. Remotecontrol 26 has up, down, right, and left arrows keys 28, 30, 32, and 34,respectively, for controlling the movement of a cursor 36 on display 10.Cursor 36 can select, i.e., highlight, any of windows 12, 14, or 16 bypressing arrow keys 28 to 34, any of the titles and channels in GridGuide 22 by pressing arrow keys 32 and 34, or navigation bar 20 bypressing arrow keys 32 and 34. Windows 12, 14, and 16 are highlighted byadding a border around the window or changing the color of the border,if the border is permanent. The titles and channels in Grid Guide 22 andnavigation bar 20 are highlighted by changing color.

Highlighting of windows and/or user selections from the Grid Guideand/or navigation and IPG on screen display components may beaccomplished in a number of other ways. For instance, the border of aselected window, or the selected Grid Guide or navigation component, canbe made to appear to flash. Another way to highlight a user selection isto make the selected window or feature appear to become brighter thanthe rest of the on screen display. Yet another way to highlight a userselection is to blur all portions of the on screen display, except forthe user selected component. Still another way to highlight a userselection is to make all portions of the on screen display, except forthe user selected component, appear transparent. Still yet another wayto highlight a user selection is to add animation to the selectedcomponent. When a portion of the IPG is selected, the system issuesgraphic display commands to a video display generator to implement oneor more of the desired functions.

The user enters the Guide Mode illustrated in FIG. 1A by pressing a“guide” key 35 and returns to the full screen Television Mode bypressing key 35 again or by pressing the “select” key. A real timetelevision program is displayed in window 12. A translucent overlay ofthe PIP window 12 can display the title, channel (local number and/orstation name), and status (locked or unlocked) of window 12 over thetelevision program so the user can still see the entire image.

The PIP Window can be locked or unlocked. The “lock/unlock” mode is usercontrolled. To lock or unlock the PIP Window, the user can use a PIPbutton on the remote control device, or can highlight and press theLock/Unlock IPG action button. The lock/unlock status is recorded andmaintained until the status is reset by the user. That is, thelock/unlock status for the PIP Window in the IPG is maintained when theuser leaves the Guide and later re-enters the Guide, including when theuser turns off the television. If the user selects the “lock” status,the last channel to which the tuner was set in the PIP Window continuesto be displayed regardless of the actions exercised by the user. In theunlocked status, the channel highlighted by cursor 36 in Grid Guide 22is displayed if the Grid Guide is displaying currently telecast programsand the last currently telecast channel that was highlighted isdisplayed if the Grid Guide is displaying future programs.

There are generally three results to leaving the Guide, depending uponthe way the user leaves the Guide. If the user, while in the IPG, wantsto watch in full screen mode the program shown in the PIP Window, thenthe user can press the Guide button on the remote control device. If theuser, while in the IPG, highlights a particular channel in the GridGuide, and then presses the “select” button, the user will leave theGuide to view in the full screen mode the television program that theuser highlighted in the Guide. If the user, while in the IPG, pressesthe “clear” or “cancel” button on the remote control device, then theuser will leave the Guide and return to the television program that theuser was watching immediately before entering the Guide.

Typically, an ad for a future telecast program is displayed in window14. This ad is linked to the time and channel of the program in a memoryso the user can watch or record the program automatically by pressingthe blue left action button to watch the program, or the green rightaction button to record the program.

Typically, an ad for a product or service is displayed in window 16.This ad is linked to more information about the product or service inthe memory so the user can read one or more pages about the product orservice in window 16 by pressing an “info” key 40 one or more times.Alternatively, this ad is linked to the time and channel in memory thatan infomercial about the product or service will be telecast so the usercan watch or record the infomercial automatically by pressing “select”key 42.

Bar 18 displays a blue button 44 and/or a green button 46 with legendsthat depend upon the context of the information displayed on the screen.Remote controller 26 has corresponding keys 48 and 50, respectively, toactivate the functions represented by blocks 44 and 46.

From window 12, 14, or 16 the user moves to grid guide 22 by pressingarrow key 32. (From grid guide 22 the user moves to window 12, 14, or 16by pressing arrow key 34.) In grid guide 22 the user moves cursor 36 tohighlight one of the nine tiles in which channel and title are displayedby pressing arrow keys 28 and 30. The user can view program listingsscheduled at future times by pressing keys 32 or 34 to move horizontallyabout the Grid.

From grid guide 22 the user moves to navigation bar 20 by pressing arrowkey 28. Initially, the center button is highlighted. To highlight adifferent button, arrow key 32 or 34 is pressed. To enter the screenrepresented by the highlighted button, “select” key 42 is pressed.

In grid guide 22 details about the program represented by thehighlighted tile are displayed. If more information is available an iconis displayed and such information is displayed in the area occupied bygrid guide 22, instead of the grid guide by pressing “info” key 40. Toreturn to the grid guide, “info” key 40 is pressed again. After anaction button has been pressed or an icon on navigation bar 20 has beenactivated, an instructional prompt may be substituted for the programinformation in information box 24.

In addition to the tiles representing television programs, a virtualchannel ad can be displayed in grid guide 22 on a tile 52. A virtualchannel ad may promote, for instance, a current or future televisionprogram. Such a virtual channel ad for a television program is linked tothe time and channel of the program in RAM so the user can watch orrecord the program automatically by pressing “select” key 42 in themanner described in the referenced application. More than one virtualchannel ad may be stored in RAM, but preferably only one such ad isdisplayed at a time.

In some embodiments, data for the IPG schedule, and/or supplementalinformation relevant to the program listings, and/or advertising data,can be downloaded to the memory resident at the user's televisionsystem. In one embodiment of the download data system, the user asks theIPG to make certain types of information available; the IPG uses anindex of where to find the information and automatically connects to theappropriate data source and will download the information. Data for theIPG schedule, and/or supplemental information relevant to the programlistings, and/or advertising data, can be downloaded from varioussources. In one embodiment, data is downloaded from the Internet. Inother embodiments of the download data system, the user is asked to tuneto a particular channel at a particular time if the user is interestedin accessing and downloading particular types of information.

Not all embodiments require that data be downloaded to the IPG memory.In one embodiment, the IPG scheduling data, supplemental data and/oradvertising data and the software to format, display, and navigate theIPG scheduling data, supplemental data and/or advertising data isaccessed by the user's television system through a direct link betweenthe user's television system and the Internet.

In one embodiment of the above-described direct-link to the Internet,the user's television is connected to the Internet by telephone line viamodem, cable modem, by other two-way communication device, includingwireless modem communication devices, and/or by other conventionalmethods of communicating with the Internet. The initial connect web siteaddress may be supplied, for instance, through information transmittedto the user's television over the VBI. The user may also be providedwith a selection of multiple IPG Internet web sites. The user uses theremote control device to select one of the IPG Internet web sites

The user's television system is programmed to emulate a computer havingon-line access to the Internet. Once the connection between the user'stelevision system and the Internet is made, the user has two-waycommunication with the on-line Internet service providers (e.g., of theIPG related information). The user can then navigate through the IPG.Furthermore, in one embodiment, in which keyboard user interface isavailable, the user can enter chat rooms or other interactive services.

In one embodiment, when the user highlights a particular program in theGuide, the Ad Window, or a Virtual Channel Ad Slot, or makes otheraccess requests to detailed program-related information, the IPGconnects the user with an external database of information, such as witha particular web site on the Internet. The user can instruct the IPG toconnect the user with detailed specialized information guides/dataservices, such as sports, news, or other guides/data services. In oneembodiment, the linking to the external data source is accomplished bystoring a web site address with the Ad Window or Virtual Channel Ad Slotadvertisement in the memory of the user terminal.

In one embodiment, the user can access the Internet to send and receivee-mail. In another embodiment, the television terminal is separatelyaddressable, and the head end controls e-mail traffic between users onits network. In one embodiment, to facilitate two-way transmission or atoll free number is used as a back link. E-mail can then be sent to theappropriate user through the VBI to the user's separately addressabletelevision.

In a Recording Function, the user instructs the IPG what programs to addto the Record List, which is the list of programs and relatedprogramming schedule information, for programs that the user want tohave recorded. The user can identify the frequency/regularity with whichthe user wants to record each program listed in the Record List.

The user can enter the Recording Function in a number of ways. The usercan press the “Record” key, if there is one, on the user's remotecontrol device. Alternatively, the user can “press” a “Record” actionbutton on the IPG display. One embodiment of the present inventionprovides the user with the option of recording a particular program“regularly.” The “regularly” option can be selected when the userhighlights a particular program title on the IPG Grid Guide. Userselection of the “regularly” option instructs the VCR control system (orother recording devices) to record the particular title on the selectedchannel at the selected time slot any day of the week that the programis telecast. If a telecast of the selected title is preempted by anotherprogram, the new program is not recorded. The change in the telecastschedule is determined by comparing the title of the selected program tothe title of the program actually telecast. In one embodiment of theinvention, it is assumed that the title of the program actually telecastis carried in the vertical blanking interval of the television signal.When the user has instructed the IPG to “regularly” record a particularprogram, if the selected program is preempted by another program, thepreempting program is not recorded and the IPG displays a messagenotifying the user that the selected program was preempted and was notrecorded.

In one embodiment, the user can instruct the IPG to record programs onrecordable Digital Video Discs (DVD's), hard disks, or other highcapacity recording mediums. Because of the extended storage capacity ofDVD's, the user can instruct the IPG to record and index an extendedperiod of programming. For instance, the user can instruct the IPG torecord and index with certain numbers, e.g., 4 hours of CNN newsbroadcasts. When the user is ready to view the DVD (or hard disk)recording, the IPG displays the index on screen. The user can thenselect to view either the entire recording, or only those portions ofthe recording in which the user is interested.

In one embodiment, program-level indexing of recorded programs iscreated. In another embodiment, intra-program indexing is created byusing information transmitted in the VBI of the video transmitted. Inthis embodiment, a recording of CNN would likely show indexingbreakdowns that include themes, such as “International News,” “NationalNews, ” “Sports,” “Entertainment,” “Business & Finance,” and “Weather.”

The IPG user interface (UI) screen provides for multiple viewable“windows.” One window presents the IPG Grid Guide. Another windowpresents the picture-in-picture (PIP) window on which the currentlytuned program is displayed. Another window displays advertisinginformation (the “Ad Window”). Advertising may be in the form ofgraphics and textual information. Alternatively, advertising may be inthe form of video display. In one embodiment, the Ad Windows areinteractive.

As described further below, the user can also highlight the Ad Window.Doing so will cause additional text describing the product to bedisplayed in the detail box are of the IPG Grid Guide.

If the Ad Window displays information about a particular product,pressing a record button will instruct the IPG to record an infomercial,to the extent that one is scheduled for a future time. Alternatively,the Ad Window can display information about a future-scheduledtelevision program or about a series of programs to be telecast over aperiod of time. In that case, pressing a record button will instruct theIPG to record the future-scheduled program. Alternatively, the user candesignate the program for the Watch List.

In one embodiment, the user navigates from the Grid Guide to the PIPWindow by pressing the left arrow key until the cursor/highlightingreaches the PIP Window. From the PIP Window, the user uses the rightarrow key to move back to the Grid Guide. In one embodiment, moving fromthe PIP Window to the Grid Guide causes the cursor to scroll to the verytop of the Grid Guide lineup. From the top of the Grid Guide lineup,pressing the up arrow key moves the cursor to the navigation bar. TheIPG provides several possible destinations on the navigation bar, e.g.,info center, sports, news, set up, help, etc.

In one embodiment, the position and size of the windows and other userinterface features are customizable by the user. In one embodiment, theIPG creates special translucency visual effects. To create thetranslucency effect, the system alternates the display format pixel bypixel, wherein one pixel is the color of the overlay and the next pixelis transparent. In one embodiment, the IPG is capable of formattingon-screen notifications (messages) to the user and displays thenotification to the user. On-screen notifications can be used to alertthe user to any number of possible items of information. For instance,the IPG can notify the user that a product is available to be purchased,or that the IPG will begin recording a particular program within acertain amount of time, e.g., 2 minutes. The record notification couldfurther ask the user whether to switch the cable box or other tuner(e.g., a satellite receiver) to record the program. If the userindicated that the user did not want the IPG to switch to the cable boxto record the program, then the IPG would delete the program from therecord list. Another example would be to notify the user that a programthat may be of interest (e.g., as determined from analyzing the User'sProfile) will be broadcast on another channel within a certain amount oftime, e.g., 2 minutes. The IPG could then ask if the user wants to viewthe program on the other channel. If the user indicates that the userwants to watch the program on the other channel, then the IPG willautomatically tune to the other channel at the appropriate time.Alternatively, the IPG could ask the user if the user wants to recordthe program on the other channel and could then record that program atthe appropriate time if the user answers affirmatively.

If the television is in television mode, the notification will bedisplayed on-screen. The notification can be displayed in a number ofways, including: 1.) a complete screen overlay; 2.) a partial screenoverlay; 3.) The real time program video is automatically changed to aPIP format, and the notification is displayed outside of the PIP window;4.) The real time program video is automatically changed to a PIPformat, and the notification is displayed inside of the PIP window; 5.)as a “watermark” somewhere on-screen; 6.) an on-screen icon is displayedwhich can be “pressed” by the user using the navigation keys on theuser's remote control device, and which, if pressed, displays thenotification in one of the above formats; 7.) the program video iscompressed slightly to fit in some percentage, e.g., 90%, of the top ofthe screen, and the notification is displayed as a horizontally-rollingmessage at the bottom of the screen; and 8.) the program video iscompressed slightly to fit in some percentage, e.g., 90%, of the bottomof the screen, and the notification is displayed as ahorizontally-rolling message at the top of the screen.

If the television is in some mode other than the television mode, theIPG can notify the user through some modification of one of theabove-described formats. For instance, if the television is in the GridGuide mode in a PIP format, then the IPG could use any of format numbers1.), 2.), 5.), 6.), 7.), 8.) or, the IPG could notify the user bydisplaying the notification in the Ad Window, a virtual ad channel slot,in the detail information window, or in a horizontally-rolling messageat the top or bottom of the screen.

The IPG is also capable of supporting parental control of the IPGdisplay. In one embodiment, the Parent user initially enters theParental Control Function during initial IPG setup procedures. In theIPG setup procedure, the Parent identifies all users of the television,and assigns individual user Identifiers. The Parent user alsoestablishes a password for said Parent user. U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/310,433, filed on May 12, 1999 (“V-CHIP Plus+: In-Guide UserInterface Apparatus and Method”) describes Parental Control setupprocedures for the identification of individual users and initializationof password protection, the entire content of which is hereby expresslyincorporated by reference.

In the Parental Control Function, the Parent selects the channels andprograms that can be visible in the Grid Guide for a particular user andselects channels and/or programs that are to be blocked from viewing.Child users, as identified during setup procedure, will view asimplified Grid Guide and will be blocked from viewing the programs somarked by the Parent. In one embodiment, individual users are identifiedby user ID and password. In another embodiment, individual users havedifferent remote control devices, the use of which is also passwordprotected.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram of a television system, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. According to apre-established criteria, the head end delivery provider inserts atrigger command in the VBI of one or more television signals.Optionally, the trigger command is accompanied by a duration, expressed,for instance, in seconds. The pre-established. criteria for the VBItrigger command insertion can be based on, for instance, a schedule ofadvertisements as identified in a channel, program and advertisementscheduling table. Alternatively, the head end delivery providerinterrogates the outgoing signal and detects a particular event, suchas, for instance, a change from television programming to commercialadvertising. The trigger command instructs the receiving television setto initiate specific functions, as described below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the television receiver 210 receives the inputtelevision signal 200 by a tuner. The television receiver sends thetelevision signal to the VBI decoder 235 to decode the informationcarried in the VBI of the signal. The VBI decoder 235 then sends thedecoded VBI information to the microprocessor 240 for analysis. The userinteracts with the system using a remote controller (IR transmitter) 215and/or a keypad 218. Other user input devices such as voice recognitiondevices may also be used. The IR receiver receives user's commands andpasses the commands to the user interface unit 230. The user interfaceunit then passes the commands to the microprocessor 240 to process theinput commands. A video recorder 212 can be instructed by themicroprocessor to record television programs at the specified time.

In one embodiment, the trigger instruction for displaying graphics withwhich the user can interact to pre-order a product is implemented whenthe user is watching the television in television mode. In thisapplication, television mode refers to the operation of a televisionwhereby the user is watching the television with the television displayfully occupying the television's display monitor, and during a time whenreal-time television signals (as opposed to recorded video signals) aredisplayed on the television.

Consider then, a particular user's television set 270 that is tuned toChannel A. When the microprocessor 240 receives a first trigger commandin the VBI of Channel A from the VBI decoder 235, the microprocessorcauses the video display generator 255 to display special graphics withwhich the user can interact to select a product to be ordered later.Alternatively, the special graphics may be stored in the RAM and bedisplayed in response to a user command. When the microprocessorreceives a second trigger command in the VBI of the television signalfor automatic ordering of a selected product, the system immediatelydials a phone (or sends a wireless message, or an Internet message)through the communication link 242 to an order center (or a merchant)and orders the product. If the VBI trigger command is accompanied by aduration component, then the special graphics with which the user caninteract to order a product is displayed for the duration expressed inthe VBI command.

During a full screen advertisement, an icon may appear on the screen toalert the user that an interactive advertising or t-commerce opportunityis available. Using a remote control or other input device, a user mayselect the icon. Selecting the icon provides the user with additionalinformation about the advertised product and means for ordering theadvertised product. For example, the user may be presented withadditional information and instructions on how to order a pizza or acamera directly through the television.

The trigger instruction of the present invention can also be implementedif the user is in the IPG mode. In this application, IPG mode refers tothe operation of a television whereby the user has activated the IPG. Inthis mode, the special graphics with which the user can interact toselect a product to be ordered is displayed in the IPG by the IPGdisplay generator 260. Similar to the previously-mentioned embodiment,when the user's television set receives the trigger command, the systemimmediately sends a message through the communication link 242 to theorder center and orders the product. In this embodiment, the specialgraphics is generated by the IPG display generator 260 in a locationwithin the displayed IPG (e.g., a panel ad area).

FIG. 3A is an exemplary flow diagram for programing an ordering of aproduct, according to one embodiment of the present invention. In block310, a television receiver (or a similar device) receives a firsttrigger instruction in the VBI of a television signal. The first triggerinstruction may include information about one or more products, forexample, in form of an advertisement. If the first trigger instructionincludes information about one or more products, the information isstored in the system memory. Alternatively, the advertisements (productinformation) may have already been received and stored (pre-loaded) inan advertisement database. Responsive to the received first triggerinstruction, the system prompts the user to input order information, asshown on block 320. In one embodiment, the system displays a list ofdifferent products that will be offered by one or more merchants infuture. The display may include more detail information about eachdisplayed product in the form of text, graphics, and/or video clips. Thedisplayed list may be an entire, or a portion of a catalog offered, forexample, by Sears, Macys, or any other merchant that offers a catalog.

The user can select one or more products from the displayed list.Responsive to the user's selection of one or more products, the systemdisplays an order form for the selected product(s). The order form mayalready include information about each selected product, as required bythe form. The order form may also include user information such as,name, billing address, credit card information, and similar informationabout the user. The user information may be retrieved from the userprofile file stored in the system memory. As mentioned above, the promptinformation may be displayed on a television screen, while the user isusing the system in a television mode. Alternatively, the promptinformation may be displayed in an area within a guide, if the user isusing the system in a guide mode.

Order information from the user is received by the system in block 330,and stored locally in the system memory, as shown in block 340. At alater time, when a second trigger instruction is received by thetelevision (block 350), the system transmits the stored orderinformation to an order center or a merchant in block 360. The address(phone number, URL address, or any other type of electronic address) ofthe order center (or the merchant) may be received from the firsttrigger instruction and stored (with the order information) in thememory. Alternatively, the address of the order center may be receivedby the second trigger instruction.

FIG. 3B is an exemplary flow diagram for programing an ordering of aproduct, according to another embodiment of the present invention.Information about one or more products, for example, in form of anadvertisement are pre-loaded is the memory in block 370. Then, atelevision receiver receives a first trigger instruction in the VBI of atelevision signal in block 372. Alternatively, the first triggerinstruction may include information about one or more products.Responsive to the received first trigger instruction, the systemdisplays at least a portion of the stored information 390 about one ormore products, as shown on block 374.

In one embodiment, the system displays a list of different products thatwill be offered by one or more merchants in future based on a userprofile 392. Alternatively, the information about one or more productstransmitted in the first trigger instruction may be tailored to aparticular user based on the user's user profile. The displayedinformation may include more detailed information about each displayedproduct in the form of text, graphics, and/or video clips. Again, thedisplayed list may be an entire, or a portion of a catalog offered, forexample, by Sears, Macys, or any other merchant that offers a catalog.

The user can select one or more products from the displayed list.Responsive to the user's selection of one or more products, the systemdisplays an order form for the selected product(s) in block 376. Theorder form may already include information about each selected product,as required by the form. The order form may also include userinformation such as, name, billing address, credit card information, andsimilar information about the user retrieved from the user profile.Again, the prompt information may be displayed on a television screen,while the user is using the system in a television mode. Alternatively,the prompt information may be displayed in an area within an IPG, if theuser is using the system in a Guide mode. Order information from theuser is received by the system in block 378, and stored locally in thesystem memory, as shown in block 380. At a later time, when a secondtrigger instruction is received by the television in block 382, thesystem transmits the stored order information to an order center or amerchant in block 384.

As described in the '931 patent (mentioned above), a user's profile iscreated by collecting information about a user. The IPG requests thatthe user provide certain profile information, including but not limitedto: the user's zip code; television, cable, and satellite services towhich the user subscribes; the length of said subscriptions; the type oftelevision; the age of the television; where the television waspurchased; the user's top favorite channels; the user's favorite typesof programs; and the times during which the user is most likely to watchtelevision. If the user declines to provide this information, the IPGwill attempt to “learn” the information as described below.

In one embodiment, the IPG is capable of distinguishing betweenindividual users and develops individualized profiles. For instance, inone embodiment, each user has an individual PIN or other identificationnumber. In another embodiment, each user uses an individualized remote.In yet another embodiment, there is an absence of a way to distinguishone user from another. In that case, the profile is developed for the“family.”

Every time the user interacts with the IPG or the television, the IPGrecords the user's actions and the circumstances surrounding thoseactions. For instance, when the user changes channels, the IPG records,among other things, information about the first channel, the changed-tochannel, the time that the change was made, the identification of theprogramming that was displayed on the first channel, the identificationof the programming that was displayed on the changed-to channel, thetime of the change, the identification of any advertisement that wasdisplayed on the first channel at the time of the change, theidentification of any advertisement that was displayed on the changed-tochannel, and whether the user changed channels while in one of the IPGmodes, as opposed to being in the television mode. The IPG also recordsevery instruction by the user to record or watch a program, whether theinstruction is Once, Daily, Weekly, or Regularly. The IPG also recordswhether the user changes the volume of the television audio, and if so,what circumstances surrounded the change in volume. If the user changeschannels while in one of the IPG modes, then the IPG records informationabout what was displayed in each of the windows of the IPG UI before andafter the change.

Additionally, the IPG records information when there is an absence ofinteraction between the user and the television or the IPG. Forinstance, the IPG records whether a user continues to view anadvertisement rather than changing channels. The IPG calculates andrecords the entire duration of the time that the television is on in anyparticular day.

The IPG also records information surrounding the user's interaction withexternal sources of information, such as the Internet. For instance, theIPG records each search query criteria initiated by the user, the SearchEngine used to make the search, the items selected by the user from thesearch response, interaction by the user with Internet sites, and userinteractions with the IPG during the same time-frame as the userinteracts with the Internet.

An alternative to the above-described individual user profileinformation collection would be to provide on-screen survey queries.That is, the IPG could display an offer on-screen that would tell theuser to call a toll-free number for the purpose of reading an on-screenencrypted number for the survey in exchange for a gift certificate. Theoffer could be made only to users watching a particular program orparticular advertisement at a particular time. Survey responses wouldprovide useful information further survey customization, customizing theguide, and targeting advertising.

As with television programming data, the television system may alsoreceive advertisement data in packets. The advertisement data is thenstored in an advertisement (ad) database. The advertisements typicallyrelate to general products, services, future television programs, andthe like. The advertisement data packets, according to one embodiment ofthe invention, comprise a scheduling component and a program component.

The two components are transmitted by an information broadcastingsystem. FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of the scheduling component.As illustrated in FIG. 4, the scheduling component includes a Start Timeand 24 hours worth of ad schedules. The Start Time is the time in whichthe advertisements are to be displayed, and can be any time during theday. Generally speaking, however, the Start Time of the ads is 12:00 am.Following the Start Time is a Duration field and an Ad ID for eachscheduled ad. The Duration field indicates the period for which aparticular ad is to be displayed. In one embodiment, ad durations mayrange from 5 minutes to 24 hours. The Ad ID is utilized to access the adcopy (text & graphics) for a particular ad.

In addition to the schedule component, the information broadcastingsystem also transmits a program component. The program component allowsthe television system to link to an advertised show. FIG. 5 illustratesa program component according to one embodiment of the invention. Asillustrated in FIG. 5, the program component includes an Ad ID, a GuideChannel, Start Time, and Duration. The Ad ID allows the Guide Channel,Start Time, and Duration fields to be associated with a particularadvertisement. The television system utilizes the Guide Channel to findthe program schedule information for that channel. The Start Time andDuration fields are used to find a particular program broadcast by thechannel.

According to one embodiment, the Guide Channel, Start Time, and Durationinformation are transmitted in the order the advertisements arescheduled. For instance, the first Guide Channel, Start Time, andDuration are associated with the first scheduled advertisement, thesecond Guide Channel, Start Time, and Duration are associated with thesecond scheduled advertisement, and so forth. Thus, according to thisembodiment, the information broadcasting system need not transmit thecorresponding Ad IDs.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of how information is retrieved from the adand IPG databases. Beginning at the Start Time or upon receiving atrigger instruction, the television system retrieves an Ad ID (Ad ID1 inthis example), and locates the corresponding ad copy in theadvertisement database. Each ad copy includes a text field and a pointerto a logo/graphics. The text field contains special tags which serve asplaceholders for particular values. These placeholders might reservespace in the ad copy for the air time of an advertised show, anepisode's title/description, or any other information available from theIPG database. Accordingly, advertisements may be modified based on theinformation stored in the IPG database, and it no longer becomesnecessary to create new advertisements for different time zones ordifferent episode descriptions.

The ad entry further includes a pointer to an ad logo, if appropriate.The ad logo includes a graphics file of a logo (e.g., the NBC logo) orany other graphics data that is to be displayed with the ad. Thetelevision system utilizes the program component to link advertisementsto the corresponding television programs. This allows the televisionsystem to insert the appropriate information into the placeholders ofthe text of an advertisement. In addition, the linking of programs toadvertisements (about a television program) allows a user to schedule ashow: for watching or viewing directly from the advertisement.

In linking advertisements to corresponding television programs accordingto one embodiment of the invention, the Guide Channel of the programcomponent is used to locate a map of pointers for a particular channel,each pointer corresponding to a show information package that containsdata for a four-hour block of television programming for that particularchannel. The Duration field allows the system to retrieve a particularprogram information within in a show information package. When theparticular program is located, the television system retrieves valuesnecessary for inserting information into the placeholders of thecorresponding advertisement. For instance, the program description maybe retrieved from the show information package Land inserted into aprogram description placeholder within the ad. Furthermore, the time inwhich the program is to air may be retrieved and inserted into anair-time placeholder.

According to one embodiment, the IPG database contains programminginformation for an entire week. In this case, the Guide Channel is usedto locate a showlist handle table with a handle to a showlist for aparticular channel for the current day. The Start Time and Durationfields are used to locate the appropriate show description entry.

In another embodiment of the invention, the program component is notsent as a packet, but is created within the television system based oninformation transmitted with the advertisements in the schedulingcomponent. According to this embodiment, the information broadcastingsystem transmits with the scheduling component, the title of the programbeing searched for, a time range in which the show will be broadcast,and a network station indicator for finding the network stationbroadcasting the program. For instance, the ad may contain instructionsto “link to NBC show ‘Friends’ on Thursday evening.” With thisinformation, the television system searches the IPG database for theshow ‘Friends,’ and creates the program component for the correspondingad. In this way, a television system capable of tuning to multiple NBCaffiliates would select the channel of the NBC affiliate which thetelevision system is in fact tuned to.

While the illustrated embodiments have been described in connection withmodifying time and program descriptions for an advertisement of a futuretelevision program, it will be appreciated that other types ofadvertisement information may be modified if desired. Additionally, theadvertisement linked with the programs may also be linked with the userprofile in a similar way. This way, different ads can be displayed todifferent users based on their respective user profiles.

Information related to the advertised product and/or service, such asprice, telephone number, point of sales, web site address, dates ofpromotions, and the like may also be modified based on the informationstored in the IPG database. For example, if the web site address of aproduct merchant is changed, only the new web site address needs to betransmitted and then inserted to the appropriate field of the storedadvertisement when it is displayed in the IPG. Alternatively, the website address may be retrieved form the IPG database and combined with aportion of the stored advertisement. In another example, theadvertisement rotation information such as starting time and duration,and frequency of display can be retrieved from the IPG database andcombined with the advertisement content stored in the ad database fordisplaying in the IPG.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made to the illustrated and other embodiments ofthe invention described above, without departing from the broadinventive scope thereof. It will be understood therefore that theinvention is not limited to the particular embodiments or arrangementsdisclosed, but is rather intended to cover any changes, adaptations ormodifications which are within the scope and spirit of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for preprogrammed purchasing oftelevision offered products, comprising: prompting a user to input orderinformation for one of the television offered products prior to theproduct becoming available for purchase, wherein the product is providedby a merchant; receiving the order information from the user; storingthe received order information in a memory; at a remote source:generating a trigger instruction that includes information associatedwith the product; determining whether the product has become availablefor purchase; and broadcasting the trigger instruction in response todetermining that the product has become available for purchase;receiving the trigger instruction, from the remote source, over atelevision signal, wherein the remote source is different from themerchant; and without further input from the user, transmitting thestored order information to the merchant at a remote site, responsive tothe received trigger instruction.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein thetrigger instruction is received in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) ofthe television signal.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprisingreceiving information about one or more products in the VBI of thetelevision signal.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storinginformation about one or more products in a memory.
 5. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the prompting step comprises: displaying informationabout a plurality of products; selecting one or more products from thedisplayed information; and displaying an order form for the user.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, wherein the information about a plurality of productsand the order form are displayed in an interactive programming guide. 7.The method of claim 5, wherein the information about a plurality ofproducts and the order form are displayed in a full screen televisionmode.
 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying information abouta plurality of products is based on a user profile.
 9. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the displayed order form includes information about theone or more selected products.
 10. The method of claim 5, wherein thedisplayed order form includes information about the user based on a userprofile.
 11. The method of claim 5, wherein the displayed informationabout a plurality of products includes one or more of text, graphics,and video.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting stepcomprises: displaying information about a product; and displaying anorder form for the user.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein theinformation about the product and the order form are displayed in aninteractive programming guide.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein theinformation about the product and the order form are displayed in a fullscreen television mode.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein thedisplaying information about a product is based on a user profile. 16.The method of claim 12, wherein the displayed order form includesinformation about the product.
 17. The method of claim 12, wherein thedisplayed order form includes information about the user based on a userprofile.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the information about theuser includes one or more of user's name, user's address and a creditcard number.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein the displayedinformation about the product includes one or more of text graphics, andvideo.
 20. The method of claim 1, further comprising receivinginformation about one or more products in the trigger instruction. 21.The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprisestransmitting the stored order information to a remote site via awireless network.
 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmittingstep comprises transmitting the stored order information to a remotesite via a telephone network.
 23. The method of claim 1, wherein thetransmitting step comprises transmitting the stored order information toa remote site via the Internet.
 24. The method of claim 1 wherein thetransmitting step comprises transmitting the stored order information toa remote site via a pager network.
 25. The method of claim 1, whereinthe product is a tangible item available for purchase.
 26. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: displaying a list of the television offeredproducts, wherein the products in the list are offered by the merchantat a future time, and wherein the list includes the product; andreceiving, from the user, a selection of the product from the list;wherein the trigger is broadcast at the future time in response to theselected product becoming available.
 27. The method of claim 26, whereinthe list of products comprises a catalogue offered by the merchant. 28.The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the product becoming availablefor purchase comprises prior to the product becoming available forpurchase at a particular price.
 29. A method for preprogramming apurchase of television offered products, comprising: receivinginformation about one of the television offered products, wherein theproduct is provided by a merchant; storing the information about theproduct in a memory; receiving a first trigger instruction, from aremote source, over a television signal, prior to the product becomingavailable for purchase wherein the remote source is different from themerchant; displaying the information about the product, responsive tothe first trigger instruction; displaying an order form for a user toinput order information for the product, responsive to the first triggerinstruction; receiving the order information from the user; storing thereceived order information in the memory; at the remote source:generating a second trigger instruction that includes informationassociated with the product; determining whether the product has becomeavailable for purchase; and broadcasting the second trigger instructionin response to determining that the product has become available forpurchase; receiving the second trigger instruction, from the remotesource, over the television signal; and without further input from theuser, sending the stored order information to the merchant at a remotesite, responsive to the received second trigger instruction.
 30. Themethod of claim 29 wherein the information about the product and theorder form are displayed in an interactive programming guide.
 31. Themethod of claim 29 wherein the information about the product and theorder form are displayed in a full screen television mode.
 32. Themethod of claim 29 wherein the first and second trigger instructions arereceived in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal.33. The method of claim 29, wherein the receiving information about aproduct is according to a user profile.
 34. The method of claim 29,wherein the displaying information about a product is according to auser profile.
 35. The method of claim 29, wherein the displayed orderform includes information about the product.
 36. The method of claim 29,wherein the displayed order form includes information about the useraccording to a user profile.
 37. The method of claim 36, wherein theinformation about the user includes one or more of user's name, user'saddress, and a credit card number.
 38. The method of claim 29, whereinthe displayed information about the product includes one or more oftext, graphics, and video.
 39. The method of claim 29, wherein thesending step comprises sending the stored order information to a remotesite via a wireless network.
 40. The method of claim 29, wherein thesending step comprises sending the stored order information to a remotesite via a telephone network.
 41. The method of claim 29, wherein thesending step comprises sending the stored order information to a remotesite via the Internet.
 42. The method of claim 29, wherein the sendingstep comprises sending the stored order information to a remote site viaa pager network.
 43. The method of claim 29, wherein the product is atangible item available for purchase.
 44. The method of claim 29,wherein prior to the product becoming available for purchase comprisesprior to the product becoming available for purchase at a particularprice.
 45. A television system for preprogramming a purchase oftelevision offered products, comprising: a remote source that: generatesa trigger instruction that includes information associated with theproduct; determines whether of one of the television products has becomeavailable for purchase; and broadcasts the trigger instruction inresponse to determining the product has become available for purchase; areceiver for receiving the trigger instruction, from the remote source,over a television signal; a display processor for prompting a user toinput order information for the product prior to the product becomingavailable for purchase, wherein the product is provided by a merchantdifferent from the remote source; a user interface for receiving theorder information from the user; a memory for storing the received orderinformation; and a back channel for, without further input from theuser, transmitting the stored order information to the merchant at aremote site, responsive to the received trigger instruction.
 46. Thetelevision system of claim 45, wherein the trigger instruction isreceived by the receiver in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of thetelevision signal.
 47. The television system of claim 45, the receiverfurther receives information about one or more products in the VBI ofthe television signal.
 48. The television system of claim 45, whereinthe memory further stores information about one or more products. 49.The television system of claim 45, wherein the back channel transmitsthe stored order information to a remote site via a wireless network.50. The television system of claim 45 wherein the back channel transmitsthe stored order information to a remote site via a telephone network.51. The television system of claim 45 wherein the back channel transmitsthe stored order information to a remote site via the Internet.
 52. Thetelevision system of claim 45 wherein the back channel transmits thestored order information to a remote site via a pager network.
 53. Thesystem of claim 45, wherein the product is a tangible item available forpurchase.
 54. The television system of claim 45, wherein prior to theproduct becoming available for purchase comprises prior to the productbecoming available for purchase at a particular price.
 55. A televisionsystem for preprogramming a purchase of television offered products,comprising: means for receiving information about one of the televisionoffered products, wherein the product is provided by a merchant; meansfor storing the information about the product; means for receiving afirst trigger instruction, from a remote source, over a televisionsignal prior to the product becoming available for purchase, wherein theremote source is different from the merchant; means for displaying theinformation about a product, responsive to the first triggerinstruction; means for displaying an order form for a user to inputorder information for the product, responsive to the first triggerinstruction; means for receiving the order information from the user;means for storing the received order information; means for, at theremote source: generating a second trigger instruction that includesinformation associated with the product; determining whether the producthas become available for purchase; and broadcasting the secondinstruction in response to determining that the product has becomeavailable for purchase; means for receiving the second triggerinstruction, from the remote source, over the television signal; andmeans for, without further input from the user, sending the stored orderinformation to the merchant at a remote site, responsive to the receivedsecond trigger instruction.
 56. The system of claim 55, wherein theproduct is a tangible item available for purchase.
 57. The televisionsystem of claim 55, wherein prior to the product becoming available forpurchase comprises prior to the product becoming available for purchaseat a particular price.